Dispensing and closing device for tablets, pills, and the like



March 7, 1939. P KREITEN 2,149,445

DISPENSING AND CLOSING DEVICE FOR TABLETS, PILLS, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Shee't I Wanna I J22 Iranian- March 7,1939. P KREITEN 2,149,445

DISPENSING AND CLOSING DEVICE FOR TABLETS, PILLS, AND THE LIKE Filed Sept. 1, 1937 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Illiilllilliiiiilililiiil 77: van ion- QZ v Patented Mar. 7,' 1939 UNITED STATES DISPENSING CLOSING DEVICE FOR TABLETS, BILLS, AND THEIIKE Paul Kreiten, Cologne-pn-the-Rhine, Germany Application September 1, 1937, Serial No. 162.4149

In Germany August 28, 1936 7 Claims.

This invention relates to a dispensing and closing device for articles such as tablets, pills and the like to be removed singly through a. dispensing aperture in the upper surface of the i lid for manipulation with one hand, in which a fiat slide controlling the interior of the container cooperates with means adapted to temporarily separate the interior. of the container from the dispensing chamber, so that by one movement of the slide uncovering the dispensing aperture also a shutting-on of the dispensing chamber from the remaining spaces of the container is effected.

In known arrangements of this type a rotating slide is used as a fiat slide, and a certain dependency of this movement on the shape of.

causes extraordinary difiiculties owing to the dif-' :ferent material displacement during the pressing 50 that such semi-circular containers are very seldom produced.

. The known construction of the slide as rotary slide and the adaptation of the shape of the 9 container to the path of movement of the slide have further the inconvenience, that certain apertures in the wall of the container, for instance the slit for the shaftor neck of the knob serving as handle for the fiat slide, remain uncovered when the dispensing chamber is shut from the remaining space in the container, and that during the moving of the slide it. cannot be avoided that the articles to be dispensed are clamped, broken or otherwise damaged as they bear directly against the slide face. Owing to the irregular path along which the slide is moved, the locking stop for shutting off the dispensing chamber from the other space in the container can not find a way between the adjoining edges of the slide are such that, as easily exchangeable flat insert movable in straight line, and cooperates with locking means which serve also as abutments sothat the dispensing chamber can be temporarily shut off from the other space in the container without, however, restricting the number of tablets and the length of the rows of tablets stored in the container.

An embodiment of the invention consisting of a dispensing and closing device for a rectan- 1o gular box adapted to contain tablets, is shown by way of example in the accompanying draw.- ings, in which Fig. 1 shows in top plan view of the dispensing a is Fig. 1a is a longitudinal section through the whole box on line A-B of Fig. 1. a

Fig. 2 shows in bottom plan view the lid of the box.

Fig, 2ais a longitudinal section on line 0-D of Fig. 2.

Fig. 3 shows in bottom plan view the flat slide.-

Fig. 3a is a longitudinal section on line E-F v of Fig. 8.

' Fig. 4 shows a bottom plan view of an insert the bent down edge of which forms a frame which serves as bearing surface for the lid and bottom of the box.

Fig. 4a is a longitudinal section on line G-H Of Fig. 4.

Fig. 4b is a cross section on line JK of Fig. 4. Fig. 5 shows in top plan view a sheet of paper placed on the bottom of the box.

Fig. 5a is a cross section on line L-M of Fig. 5 v

Fig. 6 shows on larger scale a cross section through the filled box on line N-O of Fig. 1.

Fig. '7 shows in elevation the box with bottom removed and the dispensing aperture shut off and in the position which it assumes during a 40 shaking movement obliquely in downward direction.

Fig. 8 is a similar view of the box as shown in Fig. '7, a tablet being dispensed after the dispensing aperture has been liberated.

The box consists of abox-shaped lid I having a slit-like aperture 3 and of a box-shaped bottom 5, both parts being of a rectangular shape and having each a set-ofi rim. A slidable plate 2 in the lid has a knob 2a projecting through slot 3. An insert 6 with downwardly bent edge forming a stiif frame is inserted into the bottom part 5, and a paper sheet I4 is loosely inserted between the upper side of the bottom part and the tablets IS in this bottom part. The insert sheet it may be glued on the bottom at one or several points. The slide 2 is covered, as shown in Figs. 1, 1a and 6 when the lid is on top, on the one hand by the inner surface of the lid and on the other hand by the outer surface of the insert 8 and securely held in its position. The dimensions of the dispensing slot 3 and of the knob 2a are such that the surface of the knob projects only very slightly above the plane of the outer side of lid 3, but presents nevertheless a sufficiently large surface for the thumb of a hand in order that the slide may be moved in a straight line from one extreme position to the other extreme position in slit 3.

During the movements of the slide the space 617 in which the tablets are stored is continually shut ofi from the outer air so that neitherbacillas nor dust have access to the store room. The lid i and bottom 5 may further be secured in their mutual position by any suitable means or in any other suitable manner.

Tablets 16 are distributed in the bottom part 5 under the insertb so that all rows of tablets either inlongitudinal or transverse direction contain, if the box is completely filled, a uniform number of tablets without being hindered by in.- wardly projecting flaps l, 8, t and i2 arranged around a cut out portion 6a in the insert 6. The flaps 1, 8, 9 and I2 may either be soldered or welded on the upper surface of the insert 6. They might, however, be formed by downwardly bent tongues cut out of the insert 6.

A flap l3 cut out of slide 2 is bent inwards and projects through the cut out portion 5a. This flap I3 is in the same direction and stands just at the side of flap I2 when the box is in the position shown in Fig. '7 further corresponding to the final position of the short jerk-like shakingposition exerted upon the box in the direction of the arrow H. In this position of the flaps I2 and I3 or of slide 2.rel ative to the parts i and 5 of the box, the dispensing chamber situated in one of the corners of lid i and corresponding with the dispensing opening 4 in lid I, is not shut ofi from the path of movement of the tablets in space Sb indicated by the arrow I! in Figs. 7 and 8, so that for instance the tablet i can unhindered pass from the space 6b into the dispensing chamber 6a.

The movement of the next following tablet 2 for passing into the entrance to the dispensing chamber to situated between the edges of the flaps 9 and i2, is already prepared either by a guide flap l0 alone or by this guide flap l0 and a second guide flap II so that the second tablet first comes to bear against the flaps 9 and H], a small portion of its circumference penetrating already into the dispensing chamber 6a which is occupied by the tablet l, whereas the next following movement of the slide which at the same time liberates the dispensing aperture 4 as shown in Fig. 8, this tablet 2 follows the tablet l dropping out of the box, the tablet 2 bearing against flaps i0. and I3, so that flap 9 does no longer serve as support. The same direction of movement is produced by the support II to the other tablets comingfrom 61) into the zone indicated by arrow H, as soonas by a jerk-like movement exerted upon the box in the direction of the arrow l1, this box assumes the oblique position illustrated in Figs. 7 and 8, in which position the shifting of the tablets takes place in space 6a and then the uncovering of the dispensing aper-' ture 4 by the slide and subsequent dispensing of a tablet.

From the operation described results that, if

greases 6 and which is to be dispensed, does not require any shaking movements in order to pass into the dispensing chamber, as it is located in the same from the beginning, so that after the aperture d has been uncovered by pulling back the slide it moves from the position shown in Fig. 7 into the position shown in Fig. 8, the box has to be turned only so far that the aperture 4 is directed downward and the tablet i can drop outv of the same into the open hand. If this has been done, slide 2 must first be pushed back from the position shown in Fig. 8 into the position shown in Fig. 7, whereupon the box is again shaken in the directoin of the arrow I I in order that the next following tablet 2 can move at the place of the dispensed tablet i.

a It may, however, happen, especially unintentionally or by awkwardness, that a tablet which has been brought into the position shown in the Fig. '7 tends to fall out of the path of movement in the direction of arrow l1 into an opposite direction if the box is held incorrectly. To prevent this, the tablets I 6 may be covered by a sheet M of paper or other suitable material, which as shown in Fig. 6 is either loosely inserted between bottom and tablets or be stuck at one orseveral points on this bottom. The paper sheet M has at that corner which registers with the dispensing chamber 611 and with the dispensing aperture 4a a portion Ida cut out in the approximate shape of a quarter of a circle and at the side of the same an incision Mb is made so that between this incision and the cut out portion a tongue 55 is formed which is downwardly bent as shown in Figs. 5a and 6. o

This tongue i5 bears with its end against the circumference of the tablet located in the dispensing chamber 6a. This eflect has been illustrated in Fig. 7 in that a zone slightly overlapping and limiting the dispensing chamber is hatched, the hatching indicating a portion of a paper sheet It is evident, that, if the box is held in opposite direction to the direction of the arrow H, the tongue i5 must prevent the tablet i from being pushed out of the dispensing chamber 6a.

1. A receptacle for round bodies, especially tablets, comprising in combination a bottom plate of substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, a continuous wall projecting upwards at right angles from said bottom plate, an insert corresponding to the internal shape of said wall and having an aperture at one of its corners larger' than the diameter of the round bodies, a downwardly directed flange all round the periphery of said insert engaging at its lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the round bodies, a top plate corresponding in shape to said lower plate and having a slot and an aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the round bodies and registering with the aperture in said insert, a continuous wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of said top plate and engaging theupper end of said flange, a fiat slide shiftable between said insert the slot in said top plate to shift said slide relatively to said top plate to open and close the aperture therein.

2. A receptacle for round bodies especially a knob on the upperside of said slide and extendtabiets, comprising in combination a bottom plate of substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, a continuous wall projecting upwards at right angles from said bottom plate, an insert corresponding to the internal shape of said well and having an aperture at one of its corners larger than the diameter of the round bodies, a downwardly directed flange all round the periphery of said insert engaging at its. lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the'round bodies, a top plate corresponding in shape to said lower plate and having a slot and an aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the round bodies and.registeringwith the aperture in said insert, a continuous'wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of: said top plate and engaging the upper end of said flange, a flat slide shiftable between said insert and said top plate and covering the slot in said top plate in every position,

a knob on the upper side of said slide and extending through the slot in said top plate to shift said slide relatively to said top plate to'open and close the aperture therein, and several projections at the edges of the aperture in said insert extending into the magazine and restricting the area thereof only to an inappreciable extent.

3. A receptacle for round bodies especially tablets, comprising in combination a bottom plate of substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, a continuous wall projecting upwards at right angles from said bottom plate, an insert corresponding to the internal shape of said wall and having an aperture at one of its comers larger than the diameter of the' round bodies, a

. downwardly directed flange all round the periphery of said insert engaging at'its lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the round bodies, a top plate cor-' responding in shape to said lower plate and having a slot and an aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the round bodies and registering with the aperture in said insert, a continuous wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of said top plate and engaging the upper end of said flange, a flat slide shiftable between said insert and said top plate and covering the slot in said top platein every position, a knob on the upper side of said slide and extending. through the slot in said top plate to shift said'slide relatively to said top plate to open and close the aperture therein, and flaps extending from the edges of the aperture in said insert into the magazine.

'4. A receptacle for round bodies especially: tablets, comprising in combination a bottom plate of substantially rectangular shape with rounded corners, a continuous wall projecting upwards at right angles from said bottom plate, an insert corresponding to the internal shape of said wall and having an aperture at one of its corners larger than the diameter of the round bodies, adownwardly directed flange all round the periphery of said insert engaging at its lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the round bodies, a top plate corresponding in shape to said lower plate and having a slot and an aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the roundbodies and registering with the aperture in said insert,. a continuous wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of said top plate and engaging the upper'end of said flange, a flat slide shiftable between said insert and said top plate and covering the slot in said top plate in every position,

ing through the slot in said top plate to shift close the aperture therein, and flaps extending from the edges of the aperture in said insert into the magazine, and spaced apart a distance slightly greater than the diameter of said round bodies.

said slide relatively to said top plate to open and the periphery of said insert engaging at its lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the round bodies, a top plate correspondingin shape to said lower plate and having a slot andan aperture slightly larger than the diameter'of the round bodies and registering with the aperture in said insert, a continuous wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of said top plate and engaging the upper end of said flange, a flat slide shiftable between said insert and said top plate and covering the slot in said top plate in every position, a knob on the upper side of said slide and extending through the slot in said top plate to shift said slide relatively to said top plate to open' and close the aperture therein, said aperture in said insert having a straight edge extending parallel to the-slide movement and an irregular'edge deviating from the straight, flaps arranged one at each end of thestraight edge of the insert aperture and at a distance apart slightly exceeding the diameter of the round bodies, and flaps on the irregular edge of the insert aperture closer together than the diameter of the round bodies. i

6. A receptacle for round bodies, especially tablets, comprising in combination a bottom plate of substantially rectangular shape with rounded comers, a continuous wall projecting upwards at right angles from said bottom plate, an insert corresponding to the internal shape of said wall and having an aperture at one of its corners larger than the diameter of the round bodies, a downwardly directed flange all round the periphery of said insert engaging at its lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the round bodies, a top plate corresponding in shape to said lower plate and having a slot and an aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the round bodies and registering with the aperture in said insert, a continuous wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of said top plate and engaging the upper end of said flange, a flat slide shiftableb tween said insert and said top plate and covering the slot in said top plate in every position, a knob right angles from said bottom plate, an insert corresponding to the internal shape of said wall and having an aperture at one of its corners larger than the diameter of the round bodies and of unsymmetrical shape, a downwardly directed flange all round the periphery of said insert engaging at its lower edge in said wall and forming with said bottom plate a magazine for the round bodies, a top plate corresponding in shape to said lower plate and having a slot and an aperture slightly larger than the diameter of the round bodies and registering with the aperture in said insert, a continuous Wall extending downwards at right angles from the periphery of said top plate and engaging the upper end of said flange, a flat slide shiftable between said insert and said top plate and covering the slot'in said top plate in every position, a knob on the upper side of said slide and extending through the slot in said top plate to shift said slide relatively to said top plate to open and close the aperture therein, flaps projecting into the magazine from the edges of 

